A CEO or chief executive officer basically is the highest ranking executive in any corporate enterprise. Ram V Chary says that the prime responsibilities of such professionals include making major corporate decisions, being the public face of the company, managing the resources and operations of the business, as well as acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors. Ram Chary himself is the president and CEO of Everi Games Holding, Inc., and had held the position of an Executive VP-Global Commercial Services at Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.
The exact role of a CEO majorly depends on the size, culture and corporate structure of any enterprise. According to Ram V Chary, in case of large corporations the CEOs generally have to deal with a number of high-level strategic decisions that can directly impact the overall growth of the firm, while in small companies they have a more hands-on approach and involved with daily functions. Being a CEO himself, Ram Chary has a good level of knowledge about the requirements of this role. He says that CEOs are often the ones setting the tone and vision of their company, and hence it is vital for them to have some qualities and traits that help them to successfully lead all the staff members.
As underlined by Ram V Chary, while there are multiple traits that a CEO must have, here are some of the major ones:
- CEOs must have the ability to learn from their past experiences, and instill those lessons for their future. Due to their high rank and important responsibilities, even a small mistake of a CEO can significant adverse impact on their company. Like everyone, CEOs also make mistakes at time. But it is crucial that they learn from it and prevent them from taking place again.
- Much like any other leadership role, communication skills are quite vital for CEOs. These professionals must have the capacity to effectively communicate and boost the morale of their team whenever needed. A good high-ranking executive would be both balanced and transplant in their communication, and have the capabilities to translate their view of business challenges and potential in a simple manner.
- Along with good communication skill, it is also important that CEOs have enough interpersonal skills to build relationships with both their clients and co-workers successfully. Building and maintaining good relationships within a company can develop a sense of loyalty within its entire staff, as well as create a positive word-of-mouth for the business.
- While confidence is vital for CEOs to be confident, they should also not become arrogant of their position and skills. They must keep their feet firmly on the ground, while comforting diverse challenges that helps them to meet their distinct goals.
In addition to the skills mentioned above, a CEO should also have the willingness to take calculated risks.